This MS-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe cloud concepts. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A development team wants to deploy a custom web application. They choose a cloud service that provides the operating system, web server, and database management system. The team is responsible only for uploading and managing their application code. Which cloud service model does this represent?
Why wrong: IaaS provides virtual machines, storage, and networking, but the customer is responsible for managing the operating system and middleware.
B
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
PaaS delivers a managed platform including OS, web server, and database, so the team only needs to deploy and manage their code.
C
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Why wrong: SaaS provides ready-to-use applications; the customer does not manage any infrastructure or platform. Here the team is deploying their own application code.
D
Function as a Service (FaaS)
Why wrong: FaaS is a serverless compute model where code runs in response to events, not a full platform with a web server and database.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
This scenario describes Platform as a Service (PaaS) because the cloud provider manages the underlying infrastructure—operating system, web server, and database management system—while the development team is responsible only for deploying and managing their custom application code. PaaS abstracts the platform layer, allowing developers to focus on code without worrying about OS patches, web server configuration, or database administration.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Why it's wrong here
IaaS provides virtual machines, storage, and networking, but the customer is responsible for managing the operating system and middleware.
✓
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
Why this is correct
PaaS delivers a managed platform including OS, web server, and database, so the team only needs to deploy and manage their code.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Why it's wrong here
SaaS provides ready-to-use applications; the customer does not manage any infrastructure or platform. Here the team is deploying their own application code.
✗
Function as a Service (FaaS)
Why it's wrong here
FaaS is a serverless compute model where code runs in response to events, not a full platform with a web server and database.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse PaaS with IaaS because both involve deploying custom applications, but IaaS requires full control and management of the OS and middleware, whereas PaaS abstracts those layers away.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In PaaS, the provider typically handles runtime environments (e.g., .NET Core, Node.js), web server software (e.g., IIS, Apache), and database engines (e.g., SQL Server, MySQL) as managed services. The team interacts via deployment APIs or Git-based continuous integration, and the platform automatically scales the underlying compute resources. A real-world example is Azure App Service, where developers upload code via FTP or Git and the platform manages IIS, patching, and load balancing.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this MS-900 question in full detail.
Describe cloud concepts — This question tests Describe cloud concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Platform as a Service (PaaS) — This scenario describes Platform as a Service (PaaS) because the cloud provider manages the underlying infrastructure—operating system, web server, and database management system—while the development team is responsible only for deploying and managing their custom application code. PaaS abstracts the platform layer, allowing developers to focus on code without worrying about OS patches, web server configuration, or database administration.
What should I do if I get this MS-900 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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